Home security systems undergo a shift due to COVID-19

There are ways consumers can find out if security systems are adapting to the new normal

Photo (c) onurdongel - Getty ImagesWhile the home security market isn’t making front page coronavirus-related news, the industry’s growth rate is humming along at a 20 percent clip as “smart homes” get smarter.

Security system manufacturers are also finding themselves having to respond to the new “normals” brought on by the pandemic as consumers shift in how they want to be kept safe in addition to a video doorbell or whole house system.

The overall reason is now peace of mind

As the uptick in home security system sales started to appear, system providers discovered new reasons behind the purchases.

Chrsitian Cerda, the CEO of the home security system SimpliSafe, told WAFF-TV that sales have gone up for a number of reasons, from business owners who have had to close shop and are now wanting to keep an eye on their buildings remotely to family members wanting to take care of their elderly loved ones as many systems now offer emergency access from home.

The umbrella reason for all of that is peace of mind, Cerda said. And he’s not alone in recognizing this consumer shift.

“In today’s globalized and interconnected world, it is almost impossible for someone to isolate themselves from the rest of the world by constructing virtual or physical ‘fences,’ said Ariel Benjamin Mannes, ConsumerAffairs home and personal security expert.

“Like it or not, COVID-19 has shown us that we are all influenced by developments in occurrences that may also be in other parts of the world.”

How consumers can adapt

As “smart” technology continues the in-roads it’s making, anything’s possible. However, for the time being, a video doorbell, guard dog, or gun isn’t going to be able to recognize or protect against a virus trying to get into someone’s house. While a technology doesn’t yet exist to keep a virus away from someone’s door, there are things that consumers can do in the meantime to improve their safety and security.

“In order to overcome these problems, individual planning should make a provision for basic life safety and health concerns,” Mannes said. “In other words, things like shelter-in place planning shouldn’t just be about conducting drills, but looking at HVAC flows to assure air purity, food and medical supply storage, etc. Have a plan and budget for supplies like food, water, batteries and communications equipment that assure a quarantine lasting for upwards of a week.”

Find a home security system that works for the new normal

As home security providers broaden their scope of security and safety to include not only traditional life safety and physical asset protection, Mannes anticipates they’ll also be looking at ways of incorporating continuity, safety, and health.

If you’re considering adding a security system of some type at your home or business, the best thing to do is start out by asking questions -- lots of questions. To help you out, ConsumerAffairs has created a guide that can help you move in the right direction. You can find that guide -- as well as some answers to your questions and product comparisons -- here.

Gary Guthrie covers technology and travel for the ConsumerAffairs news team. Prior to ConsumerAffairs, he was a programming consultant for radio and TV stations in some 20 markets around the U.S., as well as a presentation developer for the likes of Jack Daniel's, Procter & Gamble, AT&T, and Columbia University.